Method of preparing lithium sulfide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025091865-A1
Application number	US-202418887527-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 17, 2024
Priority date	Sep 18, 2023
Publication date	Mar 20, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

In a method of preparing lithium sulfide, a solid sulfur layer, a catalyst layer and a lithium source layer are sequentially arranged in a reactor. A reaction gas is injected into the reactor in a single direction. The reaction gas sequentially passes through the solid sulfur layer, the catalyst layer and the lithium source layer to obtain a high-purity lithium sulfide.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of preparing lithium sulfide, the method comprising:
sequentially arranging a solid sulfur layer, a catalyst layer and a lithium source layer in a reactor; and injecting a reaction gas into the reactor in a single direction to sequentially contact the solid sulfur layer, the catalyst layer, and the lithium source layer in this order to produce lithium sulfide.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction gas is injected into one end portion of the reactor and sequentially passes through the solid sulfur layer, the catalyst layer and the lithium source layer.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising collecting lithium sulfide from the other end portion of the reactor.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst layer includes an active metal and a support for the active metal.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the support includes alumina, and the active metal includes at least one of Ni, Mo, Co and W.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the lithium source layer includes at least one of lithium hydroxide and lithium oxide.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein a lithium source included in the lithium source layer is recovered from a waste cathode material of a lithium secondary battery.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of the total number of moles of lithium atoms included in the lithium source layer relative to the total number of moles of sulfur atoms included in the solid sulfur layer is in a range from 1 to 3.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction gas includes hydrogen or a hydrogen-nitrogen mixture gas.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reaction gas includes a hydrogen-nitrogen mixture gas, and a volume ratio of hydrogen in the hydrogen-nitrogen mixture gas is in a range from 30 vol % or more and less than 100 vol %.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a reaction temperature in the reactor is in a range from 300° C. to 500° C.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a reaction pressure in the reactor is in a range from 0.1 bar to 5 bar.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a reactor includes a first reactor and a second reactor.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the solid sulfur layer and the catalyst layer are disposed in the above first reactor, and the lithium source layer is disposed in the second reactor, and
the reaction gas is supplied from the first reactor to the second reactor to sequentially contact the solid sulfur layer, the catalyst layer and the lithium source layer.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the reactor includes a first reactor, a second reactor and a third reactor.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the solid sulfur layer is disposed in the first reactor, the catalyst layer is disposed in the second reactor, and the lithium source layer is disposed in the third reactor, and
the reaction gas is supplied from the first reactor to the second reactor and then to the third reactor to sequentially contact the solid sulfur layer, the catalyst layer and the lithium source layer.

17 . A method of preparing lithium sulfide, the method comprising:
sequentially arranging a solid sulfur layer, a catalyst layer and a lithium source layer in a reactor; and providing a reactor system comprising a catalyst layer disposed between a solid sulfur layer and a lithium source layer, feeding a reaction gas first into the solid sulfur layer to pass through the solid sulfur layer, then through the catalyst layer, and after exiting the catalyst layer to pass through the lithium source layer to produce lithium sulfide, separating the lithium sulfide, and collecting the separated lithium sulfide.

Assignees

• Sk Innovation Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hong Suk Joon
• Choi Min June
• Kim Ji Min
• Choi Wan Uk
• Choi Je Nam

Classifications

• H01M10/052

  Li-accumulators · CPC title

• H01M10/54

  Reclaiming serviceable parts of waste accumulators · CPC title

• C01B17/22 Primary

  Alkali metal sulfides or polysulfides · CPC title

• Y02W30/84

  Recycling of batteries or fuel cells · CPC title

• B01J23/883

  and nickel · CPC title